NY State of Politics, August 1, 2018

As the main democratic socialist organization in New York City embraces the candidacy of Cynthia Nixon, a trio of socialist groups this week backed Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins.

Hawkins was endorsed by the Socialist Party USA, Solidarity, and the International Socialist Organization.

Hawkins is making his third run for governor this year.

A longtime labor and civil rights advocate, he’s taken issue with what he sees as repackaged liberalism that’s being branded as democratic socialism.

“I am encouraged to see more and more candidates like Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and now even Cynthia Nixon identify themselves as democratic socialists,” Hawkins said. “Their policies, however, are really old-fashioned liberalism. They exclude a central tenet of the socialist tradition, which is to replace capitalism with a new and democratic economic system based on social ownership of the major means of production. But they have opened up a long-stifled discussion of socialism among progressives, and especially young people, for whom the status quo isn’t working.”

Nixon and her running mate Jumaane Williams were endorsed Sunday by the New York City DSA.